A feeling of something real, not imagined. That is the powerful feeling that only receiving a postcard can give you.

Ellinor seems out of touch with reality. From the post office representatives she learns how to be proud at the work she does. It is their mission to turn dead letters into living ones, and that is why the people working at the post office are so important: because the right letter at the right time can change lives. 

Long Live the Post Horn! shows how you can get energy and passion from people that are passionate. It's contagious. The post office workers’ passion might save Ellinor in the end. This assignment could be exactly what she needs to held her head up high again. She starts to think about the purpose of her life. About her contribution to life and society, and more concretely, about what she can do for the post office workers she is hired to help.

There is no great buildup towards a climax, but instead you’re treated to many pages of quiet contemplation, making you feel like you're reading the same thoughts (of loneliness) all over. Ellinor makes progress with her thoughts, but it feels like a long book while it is only 240 pages. After some great scenes involving her trip to Alta (where she finds passion!) and her boyfriend, the book focuses on her job for Postkom: the fight against the new postal directive. Then, all of a sudden, the book gets wrapped up within a few pages. The end.

My opinion about this book is neutral: it was so-so. I enjoyed reading the scenes involving her (thoughts about her) boyfriend Stein and her trip north to meet a post office worker about the letter he revived. I also liked reading her thoughts about where she should take her life next, and the small steps she managed to take towards her ‘improved’ future. The work-related part (opposing the directive) didn’t interest me: I was reading about (political) facts while I was more interested in reading about the main character’s non-working life instead.

Some pages grabbed my attention, but I got distracted on others. I caught myself thinking about other things while my eyes were still reading the lines. It's not a bad book, it just couldn't hold my attention.

The book is like eating a slightly disappointing meal at a fine restaurant. The elements are all there. The chef has the talent. But there is some ingredient missing. But what is that ingredient?
Ellinor works in a three person PR firm. She is full of mixed feelings, but seems to lack empathy or connection to her work, lover and family. The book is full of her thoughts, insecurities and attempt to understand herself.
She starts to garner this understanding when the firm takes on a task of lobbying against a EU directive about articles less than 50 grams. A strange topic to provide a focus a story of personnel discovery on but it works.
The whole thing comes together but I felt something was missing to provide a better ending, a taste that would have lingered longer.

Moving, engaging, powerful; Hjorth's "Long live the Post Horn!" resembles Knausgaard's writing as it is, basically, a study on loneliness.

Loved this, my goodness. Vigdis Hjorth transports the reader into the strange life of a very lost woman. It’s a wild ride with Ellinor and I have to say by the end of this book I really cared about the postal directive. I don’t even live there. But hey, I’m rooting for these folks.

Very clean writing. Descriptive lamentations by the narrator with heartbreaking text at times.

This was just the book I needed to fall into to take my mind off the crazy world.

Unique a novel that drew me in to the story the characters life.A woman living alone navigating work family relationships.I was so involved this story her life issues a book so lyrically written so mesmerizing in its own quiet way.Highly recommend.#netgalley#versobooks